If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Holly's Agility Videos

Holly and I finished our first agility class this week. Holly has come a very very long way. She has focus some of the time (which is better than never!) and she's learning to listen to me and alter her behavior when I tell her no (which is a word she didn't know at first!). Our goals for agility to help Holly learn focus and accept leadership are definitely being met. We are enrolled in the next class that starts next February.

We video recorded the last few nights of her class, so you can see some of her progress!! Of note, you can see her actually listening to me, stopping when she messes up, and completing the courses. HORRAY!

This first video is the second to last class when we reviewed control obstacles: those obstacles that require Holly to listen to me closely and to be obedient as well as athletic.

This video is a compilation of short films from Holly's last class. First, you can see us warming up with the weave poles, Holly's least favorite obstacle. Then, you can see her attempting the teeter totter for the first time. She has been exposed to a smaller teeter, but I think the point of the big teeter on the last class is to encourage enrollment in the advanced class. At last, you see Holly working her way through a course with tunnels, contact obstacles, and jumps. Holly likes the tunnels the best.

Thanks everyone. We really did enjoy our agility class, and Holly and I signed up for the next class that starts in February. Boy does Holly miss it!! She's sooo energetic that without the regular classes she's quite difficult to handle.

Just as I started typing this, for example, Holly came inside through the doggie door. She hasn't been out much this morning since we got about 2 inches of snow today. Anyway, somehow she managed to "salvage" one of her beloved rope toys from the backyard that had been half-buried by snow. She brought it in through the doggie door (which I'm sure took some planning) and proudly trotted into the sunroom and summarily tossed the rope toy on the rug with snowy plop. When the snow fell off the toy, she wasn't expected it; neither were Cedar and Willow, who quickly went to investigate. Together, the three of them "cleaned up" the snowy mess and Holly happily gets to chew on a frozen toy. Hopefully it will keep her occupied for awhile before she decides to go back and out and see what other treasures she can find buried in the snow.

He constantly brings me stuff to throw for him -- you are lucky Holly at least will go off and hunt around on her own! Jaspar wants my participation in everything except tug of war with Leo but that's only for a toy I have to throw first.

One great thing to do with such a dog is free form clicker -- Jaspar just loves doing this and I'll use all sorts of things as props, a chair, a low box, a bottle, and he has to figure out what to do 'next' to get a treat and click. He is exhausted after this and has such fun then nice nap. I also have started to collect these dog puzzles made by a Swedish company -- some are really difficult!